President Zuma names cabinet.

Jacob Zuma announced his new cabinet line-up on 10 May, the day after being sworn in as South Africa's fourth democratically elected president in Pretoria.

Perhaps the biggest novelty is the appointment of Pravin Gordhan, former head of South Africa's inland revenue, as finance minister. Gordhan replaces Trevor Manuel, who has been in the post for 13 years and has widely been credited with South Africa's economic success in recent years.

Manuel has been made head of a newly created national planning commission with responsibility for coordinating policies with the different government departments.

In a nod to his-left wing electorate Zuma has appointed Communist Party leader Blade Nzimande as minister of higher education and training.

The key ministry of health has gone to former Limpopo provincial education minister Aaron Motsoaledi, who will have the challenge of tackling the HIV/AIDS pandemic which affected 5.7 million South Africans at the end of 2007 according to UN figures. Former health minister Barbara Hogan has been made head of public enterprise.

Kgalema Motlanthe, who acted as caretaker president following Mbeki's resignation last October, has been made deputy president.

The new cabinet also includes a representative of the opposition: Dr Pieter Mulder, leader of the Afrikaner nationalist Freedom Front Plus party, who has been made deputy minister of agriculture. The official opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA) has decried Mulder